a—3a

4

The following statement shows the tons of mineral raised (coal and shale), persons employed, lives lost, &c, from 1878 to 1908 :—

SECTION IV.—GENERAL REMARKS. Mining Opekations. . 'Northern Inspection District. —An increase of 27,950 tons in the annual output of coal from the mines of the Auckland Province has to be recorded. The original property of the Hikurangi Coal Company (Limited) being nearly worked out, this company have acquired an area south-west of the Township of Hikurangi, and have proved thereon by boreholes at depths varying between 200 ft. and 500 ft., the existence of a 10 ft. seam, which will in all probability give a new lease of life to this company. During the year the respected manager of this colliery, Mr. Moody —who for a period exceeding a quarter of a century has occupied a prominent position on the northern coalfields—retired from the management of the Hikurangi Company. At the Northern Colliery some difficulty has been experienced by subsidence, owing to pillarextraction in proximity to the air-shaft, and airways, but ventilation will be restored and a considerable area to the dip of the present workings will be opened up by a new airway, which is now being driven to overcome the difficulty. Mining operations at the Kiripaka Colliery have been confined to the solid coal, this mine being still in the early stages of development. An extensive coal-bearing area has been proved by boring on this property. The output of the Taupiri Coal-mines (Limited) for the year amounted to 175,777 tons, being an increase of 13,731 tons ; the output from this property now exceeds that of all the other North Island collieries combined. This company have, by the acquisition of the Taupiri West Com-

Year. Output of Mineral. Persons employed. ! ! Tons of W*? iai , Tons of raised per Minera] each Per- rajsed r n ,T T " Life lost, ployed Underground. Persons employed per each Life lost. Lives lost per Thousand Persons employed. Number of Deaths. Above. Below. Total. Prior 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 709,931 162,218 231,218 299,923 337,262 378,272 421,764 480,831 511,063 534,353 558,620 613,895 586,445 637,397 668,794 673,315 691,548 719,546726,654 792,851 840,713 907,033 975,234 1,093,990 1,239,686 1,365,040 1,420,229 1,537,838 1,585,756 1,729,536 1,831,009 1.860,975 147 361 393 338 392 388 414 466 512 416 485 590 506 525 590 531 556 554 617 688 803 717 763 833 1,174 1,143 992 366 888 890 1,145 1,213 1,111 1,275 1,25-1 1,334 1,277 1,196 1,298 1,393 1,274 1,347 1,381 1,447 1,599 1,843 2,066 2,082 2,135 2,525 2,436 2,518 2,767 2,902 513 802 1,038 963 1,043 1,249 1,283 1,483 1,605 1,499 1,689 1,717 1,846 1,693 1,681 1,888 1,899 1,799 1,937 1,912 2,003 2,153 2,460 2,754 2,885 2,852 3,288 3,269 3,692 3,910 3,894 443 475 540 456 440 503 481 261 477 .523 563 533 516 618 588 609 627 609 593 600 655 665 609 651 687 662 641 4,771 115,609 149,961 337,262 189,136 210,882 160,277 170,354 139,655 153,474 146,611 79,674 167 ,198 673,315 138,309 119,924 145,331 12,013 210,178 907,033 325,078 273,497 413,228 682,520 355,057 384,459 264,293 288,256 152,584 372,195 15 401 519 963 521 624 421 494 375 422 313 231 423 1,681 377 316 360 29 478 2,003 717 615 918 1,443 713 822 546 615 326 778 66-27 2-49 1-92 1-04 1-91 1-60 2-34 2-01 2-66 2-36 2-37 4-33 2-36 0-66 2-64 3-16 3-33 34-07 2-09 0-49 1-39 1-62 109 0-69 1-40 1-21 1-83 1-62 3-07 1-28 34! 2 2 1 2 2 3 3 0 4 4 4 8 4 1 5 6 5 66t 4 1 3 4 3 2 4 4 6 6 12 5 Totals... 27,122,939 210 I * No life lost. t Yea: of Kaita: igata exploi lion. Year of Bri inner exploi lion.